Tit for Tat
by TheStationmaster
Summary: Bert has trouble with mud, and later causes trouble after he gets splashed with it.


**Another Thomas rewrite, this time it's "Tit for Tat" from Season 20. Enjoy and comment.**

On the miniature railway, there are three small, but really useful engines.

Their names are Rex, Mike and Bert.

The three engines are so small, that their drivers are taller than them.

One day, two visitors arrived on Sodor.

They arrived in their little purple car, and took pictures of anything they found intresting.

The visitors also spent the entire day on Thomas's branch line.

However, they took pictures of Toby, rather than Thomas.

This made Thomas very cross.

"Why aren't you taking pictures of me?" asked Thomas.

"We already have lots of pictures of tank engines." explained the visitors. "We haven't seen a lot of tram engines, and they are most unusual." 

Then, the visitors drove away.

Thomas was puzzled. Was he a "usual" engine?

"I suppose you are Thomas." said Annie.

"And you _usually_ are silly." added in Clarabel. 

Thomas was now even more cross.

Thomas spotted the visitors again at Ffarquhar.

And at last, they took his picture.

"Where are you going next?" asked Thomas.

"To the miniature railway."

All of a sudden, it started to rain.

"Bother!" exclaimed one of the visitors. "This rain means we'll have to wait 'till tomorrow. We won't get any more nice pictures in this rain."

It rained all afternoon, and all throughout the night.

But next morning, it was sunny again.

"We've got visitors today!" explained Mike's driver.

"We have them every day." sighed Mike.

"But these are special visitors. They are taking all sorts of pictures. Maybe we'll be in a book!"

"I don't want to be in a book!" complained Bert.

Everyone laughed.

"What's so funny?"

Later that morning, Bert was getting ready to start his jobs for the day, when the visitors arrived.

"Hello there! Aren't you a really useful and smart engine?!"

Bert introduced himself to the visitors.

"You can ride with my driver and fireman in my tender." said Bert.

"Maybe later. Right now, we got to take some pictures."

When the signal dropped, Bert puffed away.

"Those visitors are sure nice." thought Bert.

Lots of muddy puddles covered the ground from the rain last night.

Whenever the line came onto the road, Bert found the two men up above, taking pictures.

Bert smiled each-time he went by them, but he felt a bit cross, because they didn't wave back at him.

"I'm not going to wave or talk to them again." said Bert crossly.

But Bert enjoyed being photographed.

Then, it happened. The visitors drove by a muddy puddle, causing mud to fly into the air, before landing all over Bert!

Bert was now crosser than ever.

"They splashed me, they splashed me!"

The visitors kept taking photos.

Bert was still feeling cross later that day, when he was getting a nice wash-down from his driver.

"It was only an accident." explained his driver. "And now, you're nice and clean again."

Just then, a naughty idea flew into Bert's funnel.

"I'm going to splash them back." he thought to himself. "Tit for tat!"

"Don't be silly." said the driver. "Forgive them and forget about it."

Just then, one of the visitors came over.

"Can I ride in your tender now?"

Bert stopped to think.

"Certainly!" said the driver.

Bert was fuming as they traveled through the countryside.

He was still thinking about how he would pay back the visitor for splashing him with mud.

Bert hurried along until he reached the woods, where the line became more steeper.

As they reached the top of the hill, he slowed down.

"Go faster Bert!" called his driver.

"Tit for tat, tit for tat, it's time to pay them back." said Bert.

He then blew steam up towards a tree, causing water to splash down all over Mike's driver, the visitor, and all the passengers!

Everyone was very cross, but Bert didn't care.

When Bert arrived back at Arlesdale Junction, Mr Duncan was waiting. He was beyond, and I mean **BEYOND** cross.

"You are a very naughty engine!" he boomed. "Rudeness is not tolerated on this railway!"

"But they splashed me!" said Bert.

"I don't want to hear any excuses! I am furious and ashamed at you. Go to your shed immediately, and stay there until you can be a really useful engine again!"

Bert sadly puffed away.

What Bert didn't know, was that the visitors were watching him.

"Poor Bert." they said.

Later on, Bert was sitting sadly in his shed, when the visitors showed up.

"Hello Bert. We are very sorry for splashing you earlier with our car. We wanted to get pictures of you."

Bert smiled.

"I accept your apology. And I'm sorry for splashing you with water."

"We want to make it up to you. So, we're gonna clean you up, and make you look smart again.

The visitors cleaned Bert up, and soon, he was looking cleaner than ever.

Rex and Mike were impressed.

"Those visitors are so nice!" said Bert. "They're even going to write about me in a book! And I'm going to be on television!"

"Don't be silly!" said Mike.

But I should note that Bert ended up on television, and he did end up in a book.


End file.
